What are some good books for computer information systems?

Information Systems internship questions and crisis of confidence

• I am trying to get a start in the information systems field, but I am having a crisis of confidence. Snowflakes. Please tell me what I need to do, keeping my circumstances in mind: I am 38, have social anxiety, few connections to the community, very little money, and am currently living in a rural area far from any major city with a decent number of job opportunities, namely the Syracuse / Utica area of central New York. I have almost completed a bachelor's in computer information systems. To graduate, I need to do an information system project for an external organization. Here's the project description, paraphrased from the syllabus: [Students should use their personal network of contacts to find a real-world project in the public or private sector. Projects should focus on one aspect of Computer Information Systems such as systems analysis and design, database management, project management, expert systems, or management of information systems. Project management is an integral part, including a proposal that includes scope, milestones, and deliverables.] I am having a hard time figuring out how to approach businesses and non profits to find a project to do. I got a 4.0 gpa in my classes so far, but do not have much real world database experience. I did work with excel and VBA a lot in my last couple of jobs. I'm having trouble being confident in the value proposition that I offer. My interests are Microsoft SQL Server, data warehousing, data analysis, business intelligence, and database development, not so much being a database administrator. I am working through some SQL Server books, and I intend to work on the microsoft sql server certifications. I need to find something asap though, money is getting to be a pressing need. So with all that in mind, how do I find a company/organization that has an appropriate project that they need done, and convince them to let me do it? It being a paid position is not absolutely necessary, but would help a lot.

• Answer:

  What have you tried so far? Local libraries? Other local public departments? If that's not working, try private corporations - call them and ask them who to speak/email to, and send your details. Having said that, although you don't want to be a DBA, driving towards "data warehousing, data analysis, business intelligence, and database development", and yet having no real-world experience... maybe being a DBA is a good place to start. I'm not a DBA myself, but I work with them closely, and I can for sure tell you that it gives you a lot of experience with understanding how databases, infrastructure, applications and business units all work together. And they get paid well (in my part of the world at least)